Universal plans to bring Fast and Furious ride to China
Fast & Furious is now open in Hollywood - and it's coming to Beijing, too.
Universal announced today that it will bring a Fast & Furious-themed indoor thrill ride to the Universal Studios Beijing theme park in China. The announcement comes on the same day that Universal officially opened its Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift roller coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood in California.
Universal did not announce a specific ride system for its new Fast & Furious attraction in China. All the company said is that the attraction will be fully indoors and designed specifically for the Universal Beijing Resort.
"By seamlessly integrating immersive environments, storytelling and the ride experience itself, the attraction will invite guests to become part of an all-new journey inspired by the franchise’s signature blend of speed, action and cinematic storytelling," Universal said in its announcement.
Universal also announced that the Beijing park will debut Nighttime Spectacular at the Lagoon, which is... well, exactly what the title said. The production will link the park's themed lands "through an imaginative blend of light, music, storytelling and live interaction," Universal said.
The company did not announce targeted opening dates for either attraction. Universal Studios Beijing celebrates its fifth birthday this Sunday, having officially opened September 20, 2021.
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Such a weird announcement from Universal Studios Beijing; in the Chinese materials from the resort, they emphasize that the new attraction will be the first indoor Fast and Furious-themed ride in Asia. Unless I'm missing something, it should be the first Fast and Furious-themed ride in Asia, period (and if it's designed specifically for Beijing, it will automatically be a world-first). Judging by my read of the Chinese internet's reaction, the resort's emphasis on the ride's uniqueness in Asia and indoor characteristics have brought up most likely unwanted speculation that Beijing will be getting some version of Supercharged… like the Supercharged clone that was initially announced for the park's opening day lineup only to be scrapped.
This should have been one of the easiest announcement wins ever. Universal Beijing is overdue for expansion. Universal Beijing's seasonal events have been well-executed and well-received (the crowds for their ongoing Halloween event are impressive). Fast and Furious is a popular franchise in China. And yet… somehow, the resort still managed to miss the mark here. Hopefully they provide more information and can generate some actual excitement for the addition.
(Personally, I'm hoping for Asia's first Fast and Furious ride that also happens to be the first indoor Fast and Furious-themed roller coaster; an indoor thrill coaster would fit very well within Universal Beijing's lineup and would suit the city's extreme weather swings. We shall see!)
(I'm also a little disappointed to see more Hollywood IP going into the park; I'd be super curious to see what a park with Universal-level resources could do to bring some Chinese stories to life. Perhaps in the future.)